A Day in the Life

I find myself wasting a lot of time each day.  This semester is going to be very busy for me, so I'm curious to see how much time I waste on a day that promises a lot of productivity.  By keeping track of everything I do, I hope I'm encouraged to do better (check email less, be constantly working, etc) so I look better.  I'm posting my to-do list and comparing it to what I actually get done.  My hope is to do this type of post every so often to keep me more on task.

7:20--Woke up.  Made coffee with new Keurig adapter.  Dealt with the laundry I didn't finish yesterday.  And checked my email while the coffee cooled.
7:43--I got the idea of trying this again after Friday's efforts petered out around noon.  I have the day off from school, so maybe today will be more successful.  I'll be at my apartment all day waiting for my new bag to come in.
7:56--Done checking email.  I'll shut off my computer and write up my to-do list for the day.
8:01--Done making my list.  It's pretty long.  But it's doable and all worth doing, if not downright necessary to do.
8:20--One task (folding laundry) down.  Made breakfast.  Waiting on laundry to dry.  Will continue with lesser tasks until it's done.
8:27--Another task (write thank you note) done.  At this rate, I may finish the lesser tasks, go home, and have Zach brings the laundry when he comes over this afternoon.
Then I got dressed, did makeup, packed up.  I woke up Zach and told him my plan.  Once the dryer went off, I left, which was around 9:45 (the clothes dried faster than I expected).
10:13--Home.  Clothes are all put away.  The weather is gorgeous outside, so I threw open the windows in my living room.  Now I'll work in 90 minute increments on my thesis, library job, and other tasks, while waiting for the UPS man.  I wish I had lemons so I could make fresh lemonade.  I wore flip flops and a t-shirt to unload my car.  I love days like these!
12:10--So far, I've finished two more articles, eaten lunch, and emptied the dishwasher.  I believe I'll push through the other two articles because I'd love to finish and they're short.  Getting anxious about my bag.  I can't wait for it to arrive!
1:00--Finished my last article.  Found a lot of useful stuff for my thesis.  Debating about my use of authors.  Maybe do four, not seven.  I don't know; I'll talk to my adviser.  Still waiting on the UPS man!
1:20--Zach arrived.  I began checking the eBay item I've been bidding on for a friend, who is defending his thesis on Friday.  I looked at my resume and sent it to my dad with a question.
1:37--UPS man arrived!  I tried to make a joke about having waited on him.  It fell flat.  Oh, well.  My bag is gorgeous and I love it.  I'm actually looking forward to going to campus tomorrow.
2:00--Lost the bid.  Anyone know where I can get a Muppets Swedish Chef toy by next Monday?  Seriously bummed.
2:13--I've updated my resume.  I emailed the school-which-must-not-be-named about an appointment to get information about the degree I need.  Zach is using my computer to find out about getting U-verse TV and internet at his apartment.  I may take a reading break.  Or gaze lovingly at my new bag.
2:30--Left with Zach to go to AT&T to get signed up for the TV and internet.  Surely this won't take too long...
4:20--Computers.  They suck sometimes.  The one in the store kept timing out.  The guy finally had to call it in and get it set up.  Oh, well.  I needed the break anyway.  On to home and starting supper.  Made stuffed green peppers for supper and baked a banana cake from scratch.  Feeling like I probably won't get back to work, but that's OK.  I got a lot done today.
7:00--Learned that I got a "second chance" to get the Swedish Chef toy I had bid on.  Yay!  Confirmed with Zach and a friend who said she'd go in on it that the price would be OK to buy immediately.  They said fine, so I ordered it.  Had a talk with Zach about postponing our coffee date to Starbucks; suggested we stay in tonight and just have a reading date with hot chocolate (I make the best hot chocolate) and he agreed.
7:27--Started typing this post.

The To-Do List:

• Wait for Bag
• Do Paul Miller Work
• Make Notes on Paper for Meeting with Adviser
• Work on Resume
• Finish Reading Articles
• Fold Laundry
• Put Away Laundry
• Write Thank You Note
• Put Thank You Notes in Mail
• Look up New Articles on J-Stor
• Email School-Which-Must-Not-Be-Named about an Appointment
• Type Blog Post

As you can see, I did everything but three things on this list.  Unfortunately, they were three kind of major things.  I really need to find a better way of fitting in the Paul Miller work.  It has to become more of a priority.  Period.  It's on my list every day and I've only fit it in one day since school started back up.  That's for me to figure out, ASAP.

As it is, I think I'm going to sign off, shut down from the outside world, and go have a hot chocolate and reading date with Zach for the next couple of hours before calling it an early night.

Reflection

I spent a few minutes looking through some of the archives for my blog.  Haha.  I had to laugh.  I feel like I've come a long way since I was 22.  And I think that's probably a good thing.

Today feels like a big day.  Zach's mom and aunt are coming over for lunch.  I am cooking lunch.  Tortilla soup and sour cream chicken enchiladas.  I've made both of these recipes before and they're really easy.  I hope I don't screw up.  I'm cleaning my apartment within an inch of its life, but I still wish it could be more--cleaner, nicer, better.  The roofers hadn't touched my roof for the past two days.  Today, they're back with a vengeance.  Maybe they'll be at lunch while we're eating instead of stomping around overhead.

I haven't done a great job with keeping up with my resolutions chart.  I think that's because I'm still on vacation and feel like life is in a sort of suspended animation.  I'm living.  But it's more without purpose because that's what vacation should be.  (Especially when you know the horrors that await you once vacation ends.  No one is going to be able to convince me that my thesis will be the least bit pleasurable.  It won't even be pleasurable once I'm done with the thing because I'll be so sick of it that I'm going to want to burn a copy.  Maybe in a few years, I can look back on it with fondness.)  School and work start again on Monday.  I hit the ground running with work on my thesis and my application for library science school.

Sometimes I worry about not being enough.  I worry that I don't read well enough.  That all of these amazing books that I've bought are just going to go to waste either sitting on my shelves or when I surface read them.  I worry that I'm not really cut out for grad school.  That they just let me in to take my money.  I worry that I don't do well enough at my job.  That I'm missing something.  I worry that I will wake up and Zach will just be a fantastic dream that I've been having.  That someone that good doesn't really exist, at least not in my world.  Anyone else go through that?

But then there are moments when I realize that life isn't perfect.  I'm not the only person groping around in the dark hoping to find even a lightning bug to see by.  Everyone is doing the same thing.  No one has it all figured out.  Some people are just better actors than others.  At least, that's what I tell myself to feel a modicum of adequacy.

I think my overall goal/resolution for 2012 is to live better, be better, do better, read better, cook better, exercise better, write better, be better in my relationship.  Basically, the key word is "better."  Reading-wise, I want to start off the year with How to Read and Why so that I can read better.  Then I want to read War and Peace.  I have no idea why I've chosen the most difficult book known to God and man (well, maybe Swann's Way is more difficult), but I just feel drawn to it.  I fully plan on taking a long time to read it.  And I will probably read other books in the process.  But the point is that I'm committing to read War and Peace.  By this time next year, I hope for so many things, but I know that I will be able to say, "I have read War and Peace and here's what I thought..."

All right.  I've procrastinated long enough.  I need to eat a bite of breakfast.  I need to clean my shower, toilet, counters, and sinks.  I need to vacuum and Swiffer.  I need to get dressed, made up, and straighten my hair.  Then I need to do the last minute straightening up.  And finally start lunch a little after 11:00.  I rather wish this were a supper instead of a lunch so I could have a drink and calm down.

The Day After Readathon

I thought for all of five minutes about the best way to track my progress during the readathon.  I came up with this.  There may be better ways of doing it, but I thought this was kind of fun.

8:00--Up.  Made coffee.  Checked email.  Posted to blog.  Planned to be done, have woken up Zach, and started making waffles by 9:00.
9:20--Hit "post" on draft.  Decided to get back on plan (only 20 minutes late) and wake up Zach and make waffles.
9:30--Realized that Zach had no interest in getting up any time soon.  Began making waffles for self.
9:50--Ate waffles while standing at the counter.  Decided to clean up and mix Greek yogurt and honey, then sit on bed eating and talking to Zach.
10:00--Determined that Zach was sleeping soundly despite the very loud and annoying roofers.  Moved to living room and started this timeline.
10:09--Will begin reading after removing nail polish.
10:16--Done.  Ready to start reading.  Zach is still very asleep despite the very loud workers.  Choosing to read Nine Stories first.
10:47--Zach woke up.  He proposed moving to his apartment where it would be quieter.  We have a bit of a conversation about a new plan of action and about his quilt.  I show him, using my own shirts, how cool a blanket would be if the colors moved from green to blue.  Realized I really need to get rid of some clothes.  Began the process of figuring out what all to take over to his place--food, books, and clothes.  Blah!
12:00--Throw out trash.  Leave for Zach's apartment.  Check his mail.  Put away refrigerator things.  Realize I forgot to start my dishwasher.  Oh, well.  It can wait until tomorrow.
12:16--Start a load of laundry.
12:19--Write update.
12:22--Finally start reading while Zach plays MW3.  Cynically wonder what the next interruption will be.  Vow to stop in favor of being more positive and enjoying the day of reading.
12:23--Remember I forgot to report the internal meltdown that began at 11:34.  Still feeling icky outwardly and still annoyed with Hollywood.  Starting to read now...
3:37--I read for a while (like 20 minutes), fixed lunch, Zach turned on Frasier and I half (or three-fourths) paid attention. Then I finished putting in the last load of laundry.  I read a few pages and took an hour-long nap.  I called my mother back, tried the turtle cheesecake bites (OMG! so good!).  Sitting down now to read.  May switch gears because Nine Stories isn't doing it for men for long-term, extended and sustained reading.  I could probably do one story at a time, but to go from one story to another just isn't doing it.
6:13--Break for supper.  My chili with smashed up crackers and sharp cheddar added.  Made a lot of progress on Joy in the Morning since 4:00.  I shall finish tonight.  Will probably watch Frasier with supper.
7:10--Turn TV over to football game.  The Oregon and Wisconsin game is still going on.  The OSU game will probably switch over to ESPN2 for a while.
7:50--OSU game finally starts.  I keep reading and glancing up at the TV.
9:34--Finished Joy in the Morning.  Really cute book.  Picked up How to Be Lovely.
11:44--Game ended.  OSU won.  I'm exhausted.  Zach doesn't seem interested in letting me sleep on his shoulder on the couch. ***Editor's Note:  This apparently didn't happen***  So I get in bed, vowing to finish How to Be Lovely tomorrow, and promptly fall asleep.

Resolutions for 2012

I said I'd post about my different resolutions, so here we go:

In the vein of Allie over at A Literary Odyssey, I have broken mine into categories.  I have reading, blogging, and personal goals.

Reading:

• My goals for reading are pretty simple.  I don't want to put a number on it because either I will fall hopelessly short like I would have for any number I would have put on 2011 or I'll get close enough that I can finish...if I FLY through easy books I don't really want to read at the end of the year.  Not interested.  
• So, I'm going to shoot for reading quality books well.  I bought a copy of Harold Bloom's How to Read and Why, so I'm going to read that soon and try to read my books better.  
• If I get stuck on what book to read next, I'm going to go to my favorite source: the Rory Gilmore Book Club's reading list.  So many classics that I should read and already own.  
• I'm going to try my best to read books I already own instead of spending my entire paycheck each month on new books I won't get to until who knows when.  I know that in the grand scheme of things, books are one of the better things to buy because they won't go bad and they will always fit, even if I don't pick up a book I buy now until I'm 50.  But I live in an apartment.  I'm running out of room for new bookshelves.  I'm just going to have to suck it up for another two and a half years.

Blogging:

• I want to post more often.  I think shooting for three times a week is a good amount.  But if I don't have anything to say, I'm not going to post because I hate when people post just to post (I also hate people who talk just to talk).  Posting this often fits in with my personal goals of journaling and being more mindful of my existence.
• In addition to my own writing, I want to interact with other bloggers more, which means investing time in reading and commenting on other blogs.  And that's fine with me.  I'd love to build up some more friendships with people who are interested in the same kind of thing as me.
• My posts will be a mixture of bookish pursuits (when there is anything to report) and personal posts about how I'm doing with my other goals and activities.

Personal:

• Establish a sleep and wake up time because I do better on a routine.
• Read for one hour before bed--I think I'll amend this to stop working an hour before my "bedtime" and get ready and read for thirty minutes because one hour is starting to seem unrealistic in the face of my thesis.
• Exercise on the Wii Fit three days a week and at the gym three days a week.  I'll do something like yoga or walking the lake the other day.
• Go through my closet--When unpacking, I went through my closet and put several things in a donate box.  I also turned all of the hangers in my closet around to the back side of the bar; when I wear something, I'll turn the hanger right side out.  After a month I'll evaluate.  It might take two months because of the sheer amount of clothing I own.  But I'd like to pare things down and get rid of the everyday items I wear on only certain occasions.
• Attack clutter and focus on the dump zones--Again, I live in an apartment; space is limited.  Too many objects make the place claustrophobicly crowded.
• I want to apply the one-minute rule (do anything that will take less than a minute immediately) and practice the ten-minute tidy-up (spend ten minutes cleaning up at the end of the day).
• Drink eight glasses of water a day and eat healthier.
• Menu plan so food doesn't go to waste and I don't have to spend time deliberating what to pack for lunch or we'll have for supper.
• I have some relationship goals, like quitting nagging, fighting right, no dumping, give proofs of love, and have a regular date night.  My relationship is wonderful, but I feel like Zach deserves to be treated better than I treat anyone else because I love him more than anyone else, but as often happens, Zach gets crapped on because he's the closest to me.
• I also need to lighten up, so I'll try to make a joke instead of snapping, I'll acknowledge other people's feelings, I'll do better at preserving happy memories, I'll find more fun, and I'll be generous.
• I want to spend out--that is, trust in abundance instead of more or less hoarding the last of something to the point that it just goes bad or becomes unusable.  That last cookie and those really delicious leftovers?  I can get or make more.  The really good coupon?  I should use it before it expires.
• No. More. Gossip.  I mean actively or passively participating in it and listening to it.  I just don't want to hear it because I just don't want to get involved.  Period.  Hearing my friend's problems is one thing.  Hearing from a friend about another person's problems is quite another.
• I also want to give more positive reviews.  This is kind of like looking for the blessing.  For example, if Zach and I manage to steal a couple of hours to watch a movie, I should focus on the time together being a treat instead of the movie being bad.

As you can see, I have a lot of personal goals.  Like I said last time, I've allowed my life to drown in negativity.  Nothing is ever enjoyable or good enough.  I don't like living like that.  If it means having to cut out activities or limit interactions with certain people, so be it.  But I think that doing these things will put me on track to live and be happier.

Well, it's about time for the Day After Readathon activities to commence.  We'll be starting the day with waffles.  I have some books I've started reading that I'd like to finish:  Washington Square, Nine Stories, Out of Africa, Joy in the Morning, How to Be Lovely, and Possession.  And some others that I'd like to perhaps start reading:  Anna Karenina, The White Goddess, Cannery Row, and others that begin calling my name throughout the day.  I have no idea what Zach will be reading.  And I have no idea how long this is going to last because the roofers are going at it on my building's roof and OMG! the noise!  And OSU is playing in the Fiesta Bowl tonight and they'll probably never in the foreseeable future get so high a bowl, so we'll probably be good little OSU students and employees and watch even though I'm definitively a Bama fan.  Maybe with friends.  I'll post about what actually winds up happening tomorrow.

Um...hi

Um, hi.  I'm Lori.  This blog is mine.  Or at least is was mine before I pretty much abandoned it.  Maybe "abandoned" is too strong a word.  I really just lost sight of it.  The summer hit a fever pitch with all sorts of situations and I lost sight of a lot of things.  The fall I spent gaining perspective and really pulling back from a lot of things and people.  Finally the semester ended and I had time to reflect.  I identified some problem areas and developed solutions.  I actually made myself a resolutions chart, which really resembles the chore chart my mom made for me when I was like four.  But I find that lists to check off work for me.  I need that visual "I did this" or "Oh, I didn't do that."

Anyway, one of the problem areas I've identified, but haven't worked out a solution for, has been this--my blog.  Which I really do love working on, but simply haven't made a priority.  This past year negativity became a priority and really sapped a lot of my energy for more pleasant pursuits.  I didn't read much.  I didn't work out.  I didn't cook as much as I would have liked, although I discovered some really good recipes.  I didn't produce the quality of work I would have liked either at my job or in school.  No, all too often, I spent my time on the couch watching TV mindlessly for hours or talking to my boyfriend (or various other people, but mostly my boyfriend) just commiserating about how miserable and untenable things were.  

While I wasn't the only one dwelling in negativity, I can only change myself.  For some reason I think this blog might help with that.

Despite how much I complain about technology, it really can be a beautiful thing.  Technology has linked me with people who share one of my greatest passions--reading.  Different people have given me inspiration on books to read.  As anyone who knows me knows, I love reading the classics.  I definitely do not want this blog to become a book blog because goodness know plenty of other people (and I can give you blog names) have devoted their blogs to reading and writing about the classics.  And they do it far better than I could.  Another little-developed passion of mine is writing.  I don't do as much of either (for pleasure) as I'd like.  But I'm going to make them priorities this year.

This month I'm going to be thinking about my blog.  I'd really like to get it sorted out before school starts back up because, if I plan on finishing my thesis by the beginning of April, I'll have to hit the ground bloody running faster than Flo Jo.  But I also have a lot going on in the upcoming week--a couple of movie marathons with my boyfriend, a New Year's Eve party, a readathon, making a quilt for my boyfriend so I don't have to share mine, cleaning out my apartment, and cooking lunch for my boyfriend's mom and aunt.  

Somewhere in there, I'll find time to think about my blog.  I already have an idea, based on what a blogging friend (well, someone I'd like to become a blogging friend) is doing.  Allie at A Literary Odyssey has her goals for the year broken down.  In many ways, her goals mirror mine, so I'll probably more or less adapt her goals to fit me and also add my own goals so that I get some originality points.

I'll post my resolutions when I get them all planned out.  I already have my personal ones taken care of.  I just need to figure out my reading ones and my blog ones.  

Stay tuned.  

I promise I'll be back.  Soon.  Like sometime this weekend.  

Don't leave me.

More Thursday

I think I can do this whole posting on Thursdays thing.  It's become something I sort of look forward to doing.

I had some people over last night for dinner.  We wound up consuming more bottles of wine than we had people drinking them, which led to an epically wonderful night.  It was definitely one of those nights where you look at the clock and realize it's pushing midnight.  Look again later and it's pushing 4:00, at which point I kicked people out.  I didn't want to though.

I'm learning the art of list-making.  My un-done items have gotten fewer and fewer as I've learned to really evaluate what I can and cannot do each day.  Maybe that's a small feat, but it feels big to me.  I found the best little list book at Target last weekend, so I've been experimenting with that.

Two days ago I tried Jillian Michaels's yoga DVD.  It was really difficult.  But I felt good afterward (aside from the headache).  I felt like I'd done something.  I really like yoga.  I start noticing a difference after a few days.  But I'm just bad about keeping up the practice.  Once I get to having a shorter recovery time, I'll do the yoga in the morning, shower, and go about my day.

The next time I get to read, I'm going to read Faulkner's Go Down, Moses.  I want to read more about the people in Yoknapatawpha County.  And I think the shorter stories will work for me.  But I've also been enjoying reading The Blind Side.  It's a sweet story and a good movie.  I find something inspiring about it because of the capacity people have for doing good, which (let's face it) you just don't see that often (or maybe it's just not something I see very often).

Working full-time has given me a new appreciation for the little gestures people do to make someone's life easier.  I really love that Zach does some small things around my apartment, like mopping the kitchen, starting my dishwasher, starting supper.  Those small things really add up and I don't always feel like I show him just how much I appreciate it.

I'm currently experiencing my first Ken Burns documentary--Baseball.  I'll hit the Civil War one next.

It's Thursday Again!

I kind of want to make some sangria.  I’ve never had any before, nor have I ever made any.  But it sounds like a fun summer drink.  I’d love to be able to post on Twitter, “Oh, I’m just chilling with the boyfriend and drinking some sangria.”  It’s the small things.

I think I’ll pick up a bottle of white zin for chill for tonight.  Tonight has a feel.  I should get some wine, throw open the window, and enjoy the sultry heat while Zach and I read or watch movies.

I finally finished a book.  I hadn’t finished a book in so long that I’d nearly forgotten what it was like.  I read Graham Greene’s Our Man in Havana, which was absolutely wonderful.  I laughed.  I got concerned.  I wanted to read every chance I got.  Apparently, I even talked in my sleep about things being in code.

I believe I’ll hit up Faulkner (Light in August) next.  Maybe finish Out of Africa (or at least make some progress).

Zach and I are going to work our way through a Top 100 Novels of the 20^th Century list.  I love that my boy loves to read.

One of my favorite things about summer so far has been the simple, light recipes I’ve found.  I’m loving these dishes with only a few ingredients.  My favorite has been chicken, asparagus, noodles, and pesto topped with parmesan.  A close favorite was the puff pastries with olive oil, tomatoes, and cheese.  It doesn’t have to be complicated to be delicious.

Outside of the kitchen, I’ve been totally low-maintenance this summer.  Even the clothes I wear to work are pretty low-key.  I absolutely loved the jean shorts with an old, soft Oxford that I threw on the other day.  Next time I might belt it though.

Once I get into better shape, I’m going to do Jillian Michaels’s Thirty Day Shred.  I’m just not feeling it right now.  I think I want to start with her yoga DVD, but even that might kill me.

I get a pretty terrific stretch of picking out cards from May to August.  In May, there’s Mother’s Day.  And now Zach’s birthday.  In June are Father’s Day and my grandma’s birthday.  In July is my mom’s birthday.  And in August is my dad’s birthday.  I spend so much time in the card aisle reading them just to find the right one.  I’m going to have to devote some time to that today because my mom’s birthday is on Monday.

Somehow it dawned on me at work yesterday that my negativity towards my project was only prolonging it.  I’d look for any chance to not work on it.  I should really just suck it up, grit my teeth, and plow through and then I won’t have to do it anymore.  Once I accumulate my hours, I’m done.  I should focus on the goal in sight, not the fun I’m missing out on.